The Lower School French program provides opportunities for children to develop communication skills as they learn to appreciate other languages and cultures. Its aim is twofold: to help non-native speakers develop a basic, usable command of the language and to support native speakers in strengthening their linguistic skills. We respect the developmental aspects of the child by concentrating on speaking and listening competency in the early years and introducing reading and writing as English literacy becomes established.
PROGRAM LAYOUT AND PLACEMENT
French classes meet for 40 minutes, 4 times a week. We currently have from 3 to 7 ability groupings per grade level, depending on the number of children and their language experience.Groups range from complete beginners, false beginners, and intermediate levels to advanced and bilingual levels. Although ours is primarily a foreign language program, we strive to accommodate native speakers as well.
TEXTS
Materials used within the program are current and age-appropriate. Dimoitou is a Canadian program, Muzzy is produced by the BBC, and all other materials come from France. The methods being used this school year are:
Petit DimoitouLudo 2 & 3 Valisette Nathan GM Dimoitou 1 Petite Grenouille 1 & 2 Abracadalire GM Lili la Grenouille 1 Amis et compagnie 1 & 2Ribambelle GM, CP Tatou, le matou 1 Super Max 1 & 2Taoki CP Muzzy 1 & 2 Sac à dos 1 A tire-d’aile CP Parcours ORL CE1, CE2, CM1 & CM2 Facettes lire litt.CE2, CM1
CLASS ROUTINES AND HOMEWORK
Children in grades 3-5 are responsible for bringing their materials and assignment book to class each day. Using an assignment book not only helps them to become more organized, but it also serves as a means of communication between parent and teacher. If, for any reason, your child cannot do his or her homework, please write a short note in the assignment book. Homework should take from 5 to 10 minutes to complete.
ASSESSMENT
The Modern Languages K-12 Standards and Benchmarks can be found on the LS French home page. Evaluation in our department is based on the speaking, listening, reading, writing, research skills, and cultural development described in this document. Some of the techniques used for assessing student progress include role-playing, ‘Total Physical Response’, rhymes, songs, games, oral reading, filming and recording, dictations, quizzes, puzzles, projects, and questions pertaining to videos, recordings or texts.
SUGGESTIONS
Parents who wish to enhance their child's language learning experience might do so by following these few simple suggestions:
demonstrate a positive attitude toward foreign language and culture in the home
avoid pressuring the child to perform; he/she needs time to absorb the language
allow your child to watch suitable French television programs or films
encourage play situations with French-speaking children
invest in a few French books, magazines, games, music CDs, DVDs or CD-ROMs
arrange for your child to take music or sports lessons locally
be patient, supportive, and realistic; fluency takes years to achieve
PHILOSOPHY
The Lower School French program provides opportunities for children to develop communication skills as they learn to appreciate other languages and cultures. Its aim is twofold: to help non-native speakers develop a basic, usable command of the language and to support native speakers in strengthening their linguistic skills. We respect the developmental aspects of the child by concentrating on speaking and listening competency in the early years and introducing reading and writing as English literacy becomes established.
PROGRAM LAYOUT AND PLACEMENT
French classes meet for 40 minutes, 4 times a week. We currently have from 3 to 7 ability groupings per grade level, depending on the number of children and their language experience.Groups range from complete beginners, false beginners, and intermediate levels to advanced and bilingual levels. Although ours is primarily a foreign language program, we strive to accommodate native speakers as well.
TEXTS
Materials used within the program are current and age-appropriate. Dimoitou is a Canadian program, Muzzy is produced by the BBC, and all other materials come from France. The methods being used this school year are:
Petit Dimoitou Ludo 2 & 3 Valisette Nathan GM
Dimoitou 1 Petite Grenouille 1 & 2 Abracadalire GM
Lili la Grenouille 1 Amis et compagnie 1 & 2 Ribambelle GM, CP
Tatou, le matou 1 Super Max 1 & 2 Taoki CP
Muzzy 1 & 2 Sac à dos 1 A tire-d’aile CP
Parcours ORL CE1, CE2, CM1 & CM2
Facettes lire litt. CE2, CM1
CLASS ROUTINES AND HOMEWORK
Children in grades 3-5 are responsible for bringing their materials and assignment book to class each day. Using an assignment book not only helps them to become more organized, but it also serves as a means of communication between parent and teacher. If, for any reason, your child cannot do his or her homework, please write a short note in the assignment book. Homework should take from 5 to 10 minutes to complete.
ASSESSMENT
The Modern Languages K-12 Standards and Benchmarks can be found on the LS French home page. Evaluation in our department is based on the speaking, listening, reading, writing, research skills, and cultural development described in this document. Some of the techniques used for assessing student progress include role-playing, ‘Total Physical Response’, rhymes, songs, games, oral reading, filming and recording, dictations, quizzes, puzzles, projects, and questions pertaining to videos, recordings or texts.
SUGGESTIONS
Parents who wish to enhance their child's language learning experience might do so by following these few simple suggestions:
Parent Info